Heating structure



March 30, 1937. R. w. TURNER HEATING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March '6, 1936 March 30, R R E HEATIN G STRUCTURE Filed March 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of stoves and furnaces and pertains particularly to an improved heating apparatus which may be used either as a stove or a furnace.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved heating structure having a novel draft arrangement whereby the combustible gases which ordinarily pass out of the heating device into the chimney will be mixed with additional oxygen for combustion in the apparatus and thereby be made to give up heating units which would normally be lost in the outside atmosphere.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved heating apparatus wherein the products of combustion are made to pass from the top to the bottom of the apparatus before reaching the chimney pipe so that the entire furnace structure will be heated, and wherein an auxiliary combustion chamber is disposed in the lower part of the structure so as to create a heating unit for the consumption of combustible gases which are not consumed in the fire box proper.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved heating structure having fire tubes disposed vertically of the structure wall upon the exterior of the same and having means whereby auxiliary air may be fed to the fire tubes to effect the combustion of any gases which cannot be consumed in the fire box.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a heating device a novel fire box which has air passage ways about its exterior whereby the same is kept relatively cool and may therefore be constructed of metal instead of the usual fire clay material, without danger of melting.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved heating device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the device, the same being taken upon the line 2-2 of the horizontal section constituting Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section through a portion of the grate unit taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, the section'extending only part of the way across the structure and looking upwardly in the structure.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary View in top plan of the top draft controlling unit.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the specification, the numeral I generally designates the fire box portion of the present furnace or heating structure. This is preferably formed of metal and of circular cross-section, and as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 it has a portion of its circumferential extent of unbroken or smooth contour while the remaining and major portion is pressed or cast to form the outwardly opening or directed fiues or channels 2. The inner sides of these channels lie in the cylindrical surface which is partially defined by the smooth or unfluted portion of the wall 3.

The lower part of the body I is secured about a collar 4 which constitutes an integral portion of a wall 5 forming the interior wall portion of a substantially U-shaped chamber 6 which constitutes a lower combustion housing, indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. This housing has a horizontal top-wall portion 8 which projects beyond the area defined by the circular fire box structure I, and as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, the wall 5 defines a central area which opens downwardly from the interior of the fire box into an ash pit or box 9 having an opening in one wall into which is removably disposed an ash receptacle or pan It. The circular extension of the wall 5 which forms the previously referred to collar 4, is provided with a circumferentially extending series of draft openings II, and in the area between the horizontal wall 8 of the lower combustion box and the lower edge of the fire box wall I, is disposed the draft controlling band l2 which is provided with the plurality of apertures I3 designed to co-act with the apertures II and which has a forwardly extending portion M by which the band may be grasped to be oscillated about the lower part of the fire box for the purpose of covering or uncovering the draft openings ll.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the flutes 2 taper off or extend inwardly at their lower ends and 5 plate 25.

merge with the lower end edge of the body I so that they are closed by the inclined bottom Walls I5. Within the fire box at its lower part and disposed above the top edge of the portion 4 is a metallic fire pot I 5 which comprises a body of metal bent into circular form to fit snugly within the lower part of the fire box. As shown in Fig. 3, this metallic fire box lies snugly against the inner side of the unfluted portion 3 of the wall of the heating structure and extends across the inner sides of the flutes 2 so that there are formed the plurality of vertical passages I! between the fire pot body and the wall of the heating structure in the areas between the fiutes 2, thus allowing some circulation of air between the outside of the fire pot and the wall 3 which will prevent the firebox heating up to a point where it would be damaged.

The wall I and the lower part of the fire pot l6 are provided with front and rear openings H3 and i3 respectively, and at the lower edge of the rear opening I!) is an inwardly extending tongue 25. Extending inwardly from the side walls of the structure are tongues 2| one of which normally engages over the top of a grate and the other beneath the same and disposed within the lower part of the fire pot is a grate unit which is indicated generally by the numeral 22 and which comprises a ring 23, from which extend upwardly in convergent relation the bars 24 which are of V-shaped cross-section, and have their inner sides directed downwardly as illustrated in the detail view forming Fig. 5. These V- shaped bars 24 are joined at their top ends by the central plate 25 and the ring 23 is provided with a trunnion 26 which rests upon the tongue at the back of the heater structure and with a stub shaft 2'! which extends through the opening l8 at the front of the structure, and which is formed to have a crank or other suitable shaking device attached thereto so that the grate may be oscillated slightly on the trunnion to facilitate shaking ashes through the same. By providing the grate retaining tongues 2| at a slightly lowerelevation than the tongue '25 so that space is left between the tongues 2| and the ring 23, sufficient clearance is had to permit the necessary oscillation of the grate for removing ashes therefrom. The tongues 2|, as will be readily apparent, serve the double purpose of holding the grate when coal or other fuel is placed thereon and of permitting manual rotation of the grate in one direction for dumping the fire; It will also be apparent that in addition to forming the grate in the manner described whereby the burned ashes are caused to gravitate toward the outside thereof, a better flow of draft air through the fuel material is had by the formation of the grate bars 24 in the V- shaped design illustrated as the air entering will not all pass directly upward adjacent the wall and the wall of the fire pot IE, but some of it will be made to travel toward the center of the heating unit to escape from beneath the central At a suitable point above the fire pot IS a fuel intake opening 28 is provided, which is normally closed by the hingedly mounted door 29.

The top part of the body portion I has disposed thereon the casing 30 which is of an overall diameter greater than that of the body I so that there is provided the bottom annular wall for the casing which is indicated by the numeral 3| and which extends beyond the wall of the body and overlies the wall 8. This annular wall 3| of the top combustion chamber which the housing 3 constitutes, is preferably provided with a downwardly extending flange 32, which positions within the top of the structure I in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, but it is to be understood that this top housing may be secured in any other suitable manner to the wall I.

The annular bottom wall 3| of the top combustion chamber 30 is provided with a plurality of apertures corresponding in number to the flutes 2 and in each of these apertures is secured one end of a downwardly extending pipe 33, which lies in a flute 2 as shown in Fig. 3, and has its lower end extended through a suitable opening in the wall 8 of the housing 1 which constitutes the lower combustion chamber. These upper and lower combustion chambers are to be understood as auxiliary to the main combustion chamber which is defined by the wall structure I and the fire pot in the lower part of which is disposed the grate 22, but for the sake of brevity will be referred to merely as upper and lower or top and bottom combustion chambers.

The casing 30 constituting the top combustion chamber has its top wall 34 provided with a number of openings equal to the number of tubes 33, in each of which openings is secured an end of a down-draft air pipe 35, which extends from the wall 34 downwardly through the casing 3|! and into a tube 33. These draft tubes 35 are materially smaller in diameter than the tubes 33 so that ample space is provided for the passage of flue gases from the main combustion chamber of the heating device through the tubes 33 by way of the top combustion chamber 30 to pass downwardly through the tubes into the lower combustion chamber and out by way of the outlet 36 into the chimney pipe 31. Each of the tubes 35 is provided with a number of openings 38 in its wall for the escape of auxiliary draft air into the tubes 33.

Disposed over the top wall 34 of the top combustion chamber is a draft controlling plate 39 which is pivotally attached to the wall 34 by the rivet or bolt 40 so that it may be rotated over the top inlet ends of the tubes 35. This plate as shown in Fig. 7, is provided with a plurality of openings 4| corresponding in number to the tubes or pipes 35 and as the plate 39 lies against the top ends of the tubes 35 it will be apparent that by rotating it slightly so as to bring into position over the top ends of these tubes the unperforated portions of the plate lying between the openings 4 the flow of air into the tubes 35 can be shut off.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that fuel burned upon the grate 22 will receive the necessary combustion supporting oxygen from air entering through the openings II and that the flow of air through these openings can be readily controlled by the draft band |2. The gases and unconsumed particles of fuel which in ordinary heating structures pass directly upwardly to the chimney and are lost, pass in the present heating structure up into the casing 30 which constitutes the top combustion chamber and then into the upper ends of the down draft tubes or pipes 33. Here these gases which are superheated will mix with air flowing into the upper ends of the tubes- 33 by way of the tubes 35 and will be partially consumed in the top ends of the tubes 33 and in the chamber or casing 30. Any gases which escape consumption in the top combustion chamber will continue down through the tubes 33 into the lower combustion chamber 6 or will burn as they flow down into this chamber and before they reach the outlet 36 which leads to the chimney. It will thus be seen that in addition to the major portion of the fuel being consumed in the fire pot [6, some further combustion will take place in the tubes 33 and in the top and bottom combustion chambers before the gases reach the outlet pipes. By this means the maximum of heating units will be extracted from the fuel. By this construction a large proportion of the heat developed will be carried back to the bottom of the heater so that the bottom or lower part will furnish substantially the same radiation of heat that will be obtained from the top part.

I claim:

1. In a heating structure, a fire box having a wall provided with a plurality of vertically extending flutes opening outwardly from the box, a gas combustion chamber at the top of and in communication with said fire box, a gas combustion chamber at the bottom of the fire box, downdraft tubes connecting said gas combustion chambers and each lying in a flute, and means for connecting a gas lead-off pipe with the lower combustion chamber.

2. In a heating structure, a fire box having a Wall provided with a plurality of vertically extending flutes opening outwardly from the box, a gas combustion chamber at the top of and in communication with said fire box, a gas combustion chamber at the bottom of the fire box, downdraft tubes connecting said gas combustion chambers and each lying in a flute, means for connecting a gas lead-ofi pipe with the lower combustion chamber, and means for introducing auxiliary air into the upper part of said pipes.

3. In a furnace structure, a fire box, a grate disposed in the lower part thereof, said fire box having a plurality of openings in its wall beneath 40 the grate, an apertured band surrounding the wall of the fire box and adapted to control the flow of air through said openings, a casing disposed at the top of the fire box and opening thereinto, a casing at the lower part of the fire 45 box and closed from communication with the same, a plurality of pipes disposed vertically exteriorly of the fire box and opening at their upper ends into the first mentioned casing and opening at their lower ends into the second mentioned 50 casing, means for conducting auxiliary air from outside the structure through the top of the top casing and discharging it into the said pipes below their upper ends, and means for connecting the lower casing with a chimney pipe and 55 forming the sole means for carrying off the products of combustion.

i. A heating structure comprising a fire box of substantially circular cross-sectional design and having a portion of its wall formed to pro- 60 vide longitudinally extending flutes opening radially outwardly, a fuel grate within the lower part of the fire box, means for introducing air into the lower part of the fire box beneath the grate, a fire pot disposed within the lower part of the fire box about the grate and extending across the fluted areas whereby air spaces are formed between the box and the adjacent walls of the flutes, a chamber at the lower part of the fire box, means for connecting said chamber with a chimney flue, and a plurality of pipes disposed exteriorly of the fire box and each lying within one of said flutes, each of said pipes being in communication at its lower end with the upper part of the fire box and opening at its lower end into said lower chamber.

5. A furnace structure comprising a vertically disposed substantially cylindrical fire box having the wall thereof provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending flutes, air inlet openings in the lower part of said wall, draft control means for said openings, a grate unit disposed within the lower part of the fire box above said openings, a fire pot disposed in the fire box above the grate structure, a gas combustion chamber partially surrounding the lower part of the structure, a plurality of tubes each disposed vertically in a flute and opening at its lower end in said gas combustion chamber and each having its upper end in communication with the interior of the fire box, said gas combustion chamber having an outlet opening for connection with a chimney flue, and means for conducting auxiliary air through a portion of said tubes from the upper ends thereof and discharging the same thereinto intermediate their ends.

6. A furnace structure comprising a vertically disposed fire box of substantially cylindrical cross-section and having a portion of its wall provided with a plurality of vertically extending flutes, air inlet means for the lower part of the fire box, a chamber closed off from the lower part of the fire box but surrounding the same, a chamber at the top of the fire box and opening into the same, said chambers having opposing horizontal walls, a plurality of tubes connecting said chamber walls and opening into the chambers, that chamber having connection with the top of the fire box having a top wall provided with a plurality of apertures, a tube secured at one end in each of said last mentioned apertures and extending downwardly into one of said first mentioned tubes, said second mentioned tubes constituting air inlet means for the first tubes, said second tubes being of an over-all diameter materially smaller than the interior diameters of the first mentioned tubes, and means for controlling the flow of air into the open upper ends of the second mentioned tubes.

ROBERT W. TURNER. 

